Heel brace



H. J. HAGAN Jan. 16, 1934.

HEEL BRACE Filed April 18, 193?.

I nvenlor flarry .ffiajan,

Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to braces for shoe heels and more particularlyfor the heels of ladies shoes.

In accordance with thepresent invention a brace of the character abovementioned is provided which is extremely simple in construction, may bereadily and easily applied to the shoe, and will efficiently brace andreinforce the heel.

The invention together with its numerous advantages will be bestunderstood from. a study of the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of brace. the same beingshown applied to a shoe.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view through the brace and portionof the shoe.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a slightly modified form of the brace.

In accordance with the present invention the heel brace is preferablyformed from a single blank of metal or other suitable material andcomprises a main plate like body portion 5 provided with strengtheningribs 6 elongated longitudinally, and a heel portion 7 extendingdownwardly from the portion 5 and having an opening 8, resulting in theapplication of the brace, in a tongue 9 that it tapers toward its freeend and continues longitudinally from the plate portion 5. At thejunction of the portions 5 and 7 the brace on the under side thereof isprovided with corrugations or strengthening ribs 10.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the plate 5 is provided with apertures 11whereby the portion 5 of the brace is secured to the under side of thesole of the shoe 12, at the instep and in proximity to the shoe heel12a. The downturned part 7 of the brace engages the inner face of theshoe heel 12a and is secured thereto as at 13. The tongue 9 is seated onthe seat of the heel 12a, and when the brace is thus applied to the shoeit will be seen that the heel 1211 will be secured against inwarddeflection and against possibly breaking off from the shoe.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3, it will be seen thatsaid form is similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 and describedabove with the exception that instead of the downturned portion 7 theplate like body portion 5 on opposite sides of the tongue 9' is providedwith downturned lugs 7' reinforced by strengthening ribs 10; and whenthe brace shown in Figure 3 is applied to the shoe, it will be apparentthat parts 5' and 9 will engage the shoe sole and shoe heel respectivelyas the parts 5 and 9 of the first form of the invention while thedownturned lugs 7 will bear against the inner face of the shoe heelimmediately adjacent the upper end or seat end of the heel.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodimentsof my invention it is to be understood that I am fully aware thatfurther changes may be made therein, and accordingly claim all suchforms of the invention to which I am entitled in view of therequirements of the prior art and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe heel brace comprising a platehaving a substantially rectangular end portion and a tapered endportion, the lateral edges of which merge into a point at the extremityof the plate; the rectangular end portion having spaced longitudinalribs pressed therefrom whereby said end portion is laterally contractedand reduced in width beyond the normal Width of the plate; said plate atthe widest portion thereof being also provided adjacent its side edgeswith short longitudinal slits and bent to provide lugs projecting atright angles from the plate at opposite sides of the tapered endthereof; and strengthening ribs for the lugs struck out from the widestportion of the plate in substantial alinement with the first named ribs.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe heel brace comprising a platehaving a laterally contracted substantially rectangular end portion, anintermediate portion of a width corresponding to the normal width of theplate, and a laterally reduced tapered end portion terminating in apenetrating point; said plate having its intermediate portion providedwith short longitudinal slits in substantial alinement with therespective lateral edges of the tapered end of the plate; and bent ontransverse fold lines at the inner ends of the slit to provide dependingrelatively short lugs.

HARRY JAMES HAGAN.

